Quinoy's Village Disciplinary Hearing Begins

Suspended Sleepy Hollow Police Detective Jose Quinoy had his first village disciplinary hearing on Tuesday.

The hearing is the last set of charges facing Quinoy who has dealt with allegations that he abused his position in the police department.

In July 2010, a White Plains federal court jury found Quinoy  on two federal indictments — witness tampering and violating the civil rights of  in a 2006 stun gun incident.

The jury could not reach a unanimous verdict on a third charge. That charge involved allegations Quinoy violated the civil rights of  when, in a separate incident in October 2006, he allegedly kicked and punched Gomez after he was handcuffed. That charge was later  by Federal prosecutors.

The Sleepy Hollow Board of Trustees filed disciplinary charges are based on the same charges set our in the federal indictments of Quinoy.

The board is proceeding with the charges based on the rules govern police officer conduct within villages of Westchester County.

Quinoy's attorney, Andrew Quinn, had said previously that the village had no good faith basis to continue with administrative or departmental charges since Quinoy was found not guilty, and prosecutors threw out the remaining charge. Quinn also noted that the village failed to file disciplinary charges within the defined 90-day time period.

Tuesday's hearing was largely procedural, trustees laid out their conflicts of interest in the case, which were minor.

They also set out to adopt the rules that will govern the proceedings as they move forward.

While the disciplinary hearing moves forward, Quinoy has filed a notice of claim with the Village of Sleepy Hollow.

A notice of claim is the first step in what could be legal action against the village, and others. In the documents, dated Nov. 24, 2010, it states that Quinoy is seeking monetary damages due to his "wrongful arrest and malicious prosecution."

If the board decides that Quinoy is not guilty of the charges, or decide to throw out the charges, Quinoy will likely be reinstated to his police position as per the rules governing the hearing:

"If any member of such police force so suspended shall not be convicted by such board of the charges so preferred, or if on review his conviction shall be reversed, then, notwithstanding such charges and suspension, he shall be entitled to receive full pay from the date of suspension to the date of reimbursement less the amount of compensation, if any, received by him from any other employment or occupation during the period beginning with such date of suspension to the date of his reinstatement."

The next disciplinary hearing comes before village elections, on March 8.